PATAGONIAN GRAY FOX: CHARACTERISTICS, HABITAT, DANGER OF EXTINCTION - BIOLOGY - 2025

The Patagonian gray fox (Lycalopex griseus) is a placental mammal belonging to the Canidae family. It is found on both sides of the Andes mountain range, encompassing the countries of Chile and Argentina. It was introduced in 1953 on Tierra de Fuego Island. The intention was to control the European rabbits that had become a harmful species for the ecology of the area.

However, this animal has impacted on the fauna of this region, competing for territory and food with the Culpeo Fox. It usually inhabits a variety of regions, being able to be from sea level to 3000 meters of altitude. Within this range it prefers steppes, open scrublands, coastal areas and deserts.

Patagonian gray fox. Source: claudio ruiz from Santiago, Chile

The size of the Patagonian gray fox can vary between 70 and 96 centimeters, including the tail. The coat is yellowish gray, with black and white hairs on the back. Its legs are reddish brown and it has a dark spot on the thigh that characterizes the species.

In addition to being the Patagonian gray fox, this animal is also known as the small gray fox, the pampas fox, the chilla or the pampas gray fox.

Behavior

Generally, this canid has solitary habits. However, in the mating season the male joins the female to raise the cubs together. The Patagonian gray fox can be active throughout the day, but most of the time it carries out its activities at night or during twilight.

The social organization is a monogamous couple, being able to be complemented by other females that help with the upbringing. Some males also live in this group, and polygamous relationships may occur.

characteristics

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The Lycalopex griseus has an elongated body, the length of which, not including the tail, can vary from 40 to 68 centimeters. The weight ranges between 2.5 and 4.5 kilograms. The tail is bushy and long, representing around 40% of the total length of the animal.

The skeleton is thin, with elongated limbs. The hindquarters are longer than those of other canid species, giving the animal an extra boost when it needs to pounce on prey.

All legs have pads that allow you to cushion falls and shocks, thus protecting the joints and bones of the extremities. In addition, these structures prevent the loss of body heat, while they could offer you certain sensory information that they could use for hunting.

To help maintain the internal heat of the organism, the shorter hair covers almost 30% of the body of the Patagonian gray fox. Thus, it can be found in some parts of the face, such as the mouth, the upper area of ​​the head and around the eyes.

In addition to these areas, where heat loss helps the animal's body cool down, short fur is also found on the legs and ears.

Coloration

The coat is yellowish-gray, although on the back it usually has some black and white hairs. Some of these have the peculiarity of being white at the base and black at the end.

The legs of the Patagonian gray fox are reddish-brown, with a dark spot on each thigh. The tail is thick and of great length, presenting a dorsal stripe and a black spot on the tip. The belly is pale gray.

The head is edged with white and the muzzle has a dark gray hue. The jaw area has a very marked black spot.

Head

The face is narrow. In it are two large ears and a pointed snout. The eyes are located in the front part, providing the animal with binocular vision, very important for hunting its prey.

The molar teeth are large, with a pronounced hypocone. This, together with the lingual cngulum, gives these teeth a curved shape. Carnassial teeth present an outstanding protocone, compared to the dimensions of the rest of the tooth.

Habitat and distribution

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It is a species that belongs to the Southern Cone of South America. Geographically, the Lycalopex griseus occupies a strip on the sides of the Andes mountain range, encompassing Chile and Argentina.

In Argentina, it is located in the western semi-arid zone, from the Andean foothills to the meridian of 66 ° west, expanding towards the southern part of the Rio Grande, reaching the Atlantic coast.

This species is located in the Argentine provinces of Salta, Jujuy, Catamarca, Tucumán, La Rioja, Santiago del Estero and San Juan. In addition, they live west of La Pampa and San Luis, Mendoza, Neuquén, Santa Cruz, Río Negro, Chubut and Tierra del Fuego.

The distribution in the Chilean territory ranges from the province of Atacama to the Strait of Magellan and Tierra del Fuego, where it was introduced in 1951 to try to control the infestation of the Oryctolagus cuniculus.

The presence of the Lycalopex griseus off the southern coast of Peru could suggest a new subspecies, as it is found further north from its traditional location. In addition to this, it is separated from the other subspecies, due to the biogeographic barrier that constitutes the Atacama desert, in northern Chile.

Habitat

In Chile, the Patagonian gray fox could live near urbanized areas. However, it prefers the rural sectors of the south and center of the country. This includes both those that are close to the coast and those that are in the foothills.

This species usually inhabits scrublands, grasslands, low mountains and plains, where vegetation such as Stipa spp., Festuca spp. or Nothofagus antárctica. On some occasions it has been seen in locations with altitudes between 3,500 and 4,000 meters.

It is also located in semi-arid and arid regions. Although it is not common to see the Patagonian gray fox in ecosystems with dense vegetation or in ravines, it usually frequents them in search of some fruits.

Chillas, as the Lycalopex griseus is also known, are tolerant to extreme climatic variations. This is evidenced by its ability to thrive both in dry and warm areas, as well as in humid and cold regions. Such is the case of Tierra del Fuego, with an average annual temperature of 7ºC.

Danger of extinction

The Patagonian gray fox population has progressively decreased. Consequently, international organisms for the protection of living beings include this animal among the species that deserve special attention.

This is why Lycalopex griseus appears on the IUCN red list, cataloged as a canid in a lower risk state.

There are several causes that have motivated this population decline. In the first place, these animals are hunted to sell their skins in the market. It is estimated that between 1980 and 1983, more than 382,000 hides were exported from Argentina. Most of these were sent to Switzerland, Italy, and West Germany.

Also, the Patagonian gray fox is considered by farmers as a threat, which is why it is hunted. The reason for this action is that this animal attacks lambs, poultry and cattle from farms close to its natural habitat.

Actions

The Patagonian gray fox is included in Appendix II of CITES. In Argentina it is fully protected in San Luis and Catamarca. However, in the 5 continental provinces of Tierra del Fuego and Patagonia, hunting and fur trading are legal activities.

Under Chilean law, all populations of the Lycalopex griseus in that country are protected, with the exception of those that live in Tierra del Fuego. There they are considered as a species that causes serious damage, since it attacks other animals, causing an ecological imbalance.

Reproduction

This species reaches sexual maturity approximately one year after being born. Mating generally occurs between the months of August and October. Gestation usually lasts between 53 and 58 days, after which between 4 and 6 young are born.

One month after being born, the young begin to leave the burrow. However, it is not until 6 or 7 months when they move to other areas. Like the rest of mammalian animals, the female of this species suckles her cubs, approximately for 4 or 5 months.

Studies carried out in Patagonia on the reproductive process of L. griseus indicate that the mating system is monogamous. In this, a pair comes together to reproduce, maintaining their territory for a long time. The other females in the group could help raise the cubs.

Also, in this cooperative breeding system, both parents are involved in caring for the puppies. The male also helps by providing food for the entire growing family.

These integration behaviors benefit the group, thus allowing, among other things, that more puppies can survive in a litter.

Nutrition

Patagonian gray foxes are omnivores. Among the species that make up its diet are various animals, such as rabbits, birds, insects, lizards, scorpions, rodents and frogs. Goats and sheep are not an essential part of the diet of the Patagonian gray fox, although they can eat their carrion.

The diet of Lycalopex griseus is supplemented with seeds and some fruits, among which are Lithraea caustica, Cryptocarya alba and Prosopanche spp. In addition, they consume grasses and dicotyledons.

Specialists in food ecology point out that some populations of this species are trophic opportunists. Thus, the Patagonian gray fox takes food according to its availability in the habitat.

Other groups show selective behavior towards prey. Therefore, they consume it in abundance, no matter how much there is. It is even feasible that a population may have both behaviors, depending on the circumstances of the environment where it is found.

Dietary variations

Your diet may change seasonally. During the winter, armadillos and rodents are possibly its preferred prey, although it could also eat carrion. Berries are one of the favorite foods in autumn.

It also varies in each of the different geographic spaces it inhabits. In the Falklands, 80% of the diet of this animal is represented by mammals and birds. In the north and center of Chile, the diet is formed particularly by rodents.

In Tierra del Fuego, the main members of the diet are the fruits of Berberis buxifolia and small animals. When it lives in the prairies, it consumes hares and carrion, while in those areas of lower latitude it eats rodents.

References

1. 1. Lucherini, M. (2016). Lycalopex griseus. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Recovered from iucnredlist.org.

   2. Knop, K. (2003). Lycalopex griseus. Animal Diversity Web. Recovered from animaldiversity.org.

   3. Wikipedia (2019). South American gray fox. Recovered from en.wikipedia.org.

   4. Global Invasive Species Database (2019) Species profile: Lycalopex griseus. Recovered from iucngisd.org.

   5. Inaturalist. (2019). Gray fox Gray (Lycalopex griseus). Recovered from inaturalist.org.

   6. Elena Vivar, Víctor Pacheco (2014). Status of the gray fox Lycalopex griseus (Gray, 1837) (Mammalia: Canidae) in Peru Sky. Recovered from scielo.org.pe.

   7. Ministry of the Environment. Government of Chile (2019). Lycalopex griseus. National inventory of Chilean species. Recovered from http://especies.mma.gob.cl.

   8. Muñoz-Pedreros, A & Yáñez, José & Norambuena, Heraldo & Zúñiga, Alfredo. (2018). Diet, dietary selectivity and density of South American Gray Fox, Lycalopex griseus, in Central Chile. Research gate. Recovered from researchgate.net.